Polycarbonates are polymers that contain a plurality of carbonate groups (—O—C═O)—O—), and typically derived by reacting a polyhydric phenol such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phosgene (carbonyl chloride). Polycarbonates have many desirable properties (e.g. thermal stability, good electrical properties and high impact strength) making them valuable in commercial and industrial applications (e.g. electronic components, automotive components, or medical equipment).
A drawback to BPA-derived polycarbonates is the potential leaching or migration of unreacted BPA, which is undesirable.